House of Guise

The House of Guise was a French noble family that existed from 1528 to 1688. The family was a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine, and Claude, Duke of Guise became the first Duc de Guise in 1528. During the French Wars of Religion, the Guise family served as the vanguard of the Catholic nobility, and Henry I, Duke of Guise established the Catholic League in 1576 with the goal of seizing the throne of France for himself. After the end of the wars in 1598, the Guise family lost much of its influence in French politics, and the title "Duke of Guise" was awarded to the House of Bourbon and the House of Orleans after 1688.